NFL Dreams: A Busy Week in Texas

By Nick Hill/Special to The Call, Du Quoin Evening Call

Friday, February 1, 2008 11:31 PM CST

Hello again to everyone back in Du Quoin.

I am writing you from my hotel room in El Paso, Texas. Like I said last week, I am here for the Texas vs. The Nation all-star game. It has been a fun but very busy week. The week has consisted of either practicing, watching film, or meeting with scouts. We also had the option to do community served; throughout the week, I had the chance to visit a children's hospital, speak at a local middle school, and visit injured soldiers at Fort Bliss. It was really an eye opening experience seeing how different the school systems are here in El Paso. Practice has been going well.

I believe I have proven to the scouts that I can play at the next level. The first day was the toughest of all the practices, it was a little difficult to get adjusted to a brand new offense and new receivers in just one day. However, Wednesday and Thursday I felt a lot more comfortable and began to play better. It has been a lot of fun playing with some of the best players in the country. When I step into the huddle I see helmets that say LSU, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, and Florida State to name a few.

I really feel that we have come together as a team as much as you can in a week and look for us to play well tonight. I have had the chance to meet with several NFL teams while I have been here. Most of the interviews have been really laid back, with the scouts just trying to get to know you better. Throughout the week I have met with the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Houston Texans, while filling out questionnaires from almost 10 others.

The meeting with the Bears was the most in-depth. I met with their quarterback coach and the director of college scouting for about 45 minutes Monday night. NFL teams are allowed to bring in a maximum of 30 players they are interested in drafting, prior to the draft, for a visit. You meet the staff, front office personal, and take a physical. The Bears have informed me that I will be one of the 30 players they are bringing in, which is good news.

Overall , I have had a great time in El Paso and hopefully it will have a good ending tonight in the game. Sunday morning, I will be flying out of El Paso, heading to Tampa, Florida. There I will be working with quarterback coach Steve Deberg. Steve played in the NFL for many years and also coached in the NFL. He now works football camps and trains professional quarterbacks. Steve trained Tony Romo when he was coming out of Eastern Illinois. I will be working one-on-one with Steve for a week, which I am really excited about.

Hopefully I can pick up a few things that will help my game. While I am in Tampa I will be staying with my uncle Jerry Showalter and will get to see my family that lives down there. I will also get to see former Du Quoin standouts Jarret and Jordan Willi.

Lastly, I would like to thank my parents, my girlfriend Shalane Mcintire, Lamoyne Rains, and Spencer Cook for flying to El Paso to watch me play.

Until Next time, Take care !

Nick Hill